The Davis Residence was designed by Abramson Teiger Architects who were asked to design a house with light-filled spaces and an indoor/outdoor integration seen in the firm’s Southern California work, but adapted to the Toronto, Ontario climate. The first floor is clad in black Algonquin limestone, used commonly in Ontario, and layered with wood, detailed as a rain-screen, which stands proud of the stone below it. In contract, the second floor is light, with exterior walls that disappear as they rise towards the roof, turning into windows that allow for views of the densely wooded surroundings. (The effect is inverted inside the house, where walls at times do not meet the floor.) The sense of lightness continues to the roof, which has a thin, six-inch profile.

Inside the 12,500 square foot house, natural light is central to the design. On the first floor, the combined kitchen/family room – with Abramson Teiger signatures such as a skylight and expansive disappearing sliding doors – has an open flow to the living and dining rooms. From these rooms, views are layered through the 16-foot-wide by 5-foot-high fish tank and over the water of the swimming pool to the garden beyond. Upstairs, the airy bedrooms opens to a central hall with a sitting area, lit by clerestory windows.

Photos: Courtesy of Abramson Teiger Architects